Patients in half of trusts 'still struggle to see their GP'

Patients in almost half of local healthcare trusts often can't see their GP
within 48 hours, nine years after the Government pledged that all patients
should be seen within that time, figures from the new health superregulator
show.

A comprehensive report into quality across the NHS reveals that millions of people are still struggling to get appointments when they need them at their GP practice.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) also warned that one in eight local health care trusts were in danger of failing stringent new registration requirements next year, raising the spectre that tens of hospitals could face fines or even closure if they do not shape up.

One in eight trusts are still failing infection control measures the regulator’s annual report also shows, despite rates of hospital superbugs like MRSA falling.

The number of operations cancelled at the last moment also rose last year, the CQC figures reveal.

The Government said all patients should be seen by their GP within 48 hours in the NHS plan in 2000.

Trusts met the regulator’s test if 85 per cent of patients said that they could get an appointment within two days.

The remaining trusts did not achieve the pledge, although in a third at least 75 per cent of patients said they could see their family doctor within 48 hours.

Many patients also struggled to make appointments more than two days in the future, four years after Tony Blair, then Prime Minister, pledged to sort out the problem.

Just over half, 52 per cent, of Trusts achieved that measure.

The figures are an improvement on 2006-07 when patients in two thirds of Trusts said they struggled to see a GP within 48 hours.

The statistics are drawn from an official survey of around 1.5 million patients.

Cynthia Bower, chief executive of the CQC, said patients deserved better access to their GP.

“There has been a good improvement but there is still more that needs to be done," she said.

However, she praised changes which have seen many GP surgeries now offering appointments in the evening and at weekends.

Andrew Lansley, the shadow health secretary, said: "It is extremely worrying that nearly half of patients are unable to see their GP within 48 hours.

"While the Government has spent all its time trying to force family doctors to open earlier in the morning, they have dropped the ball on what is more important to patients – being able to get an appointment with a GP quickly if they are ill."

A spokesman for the Department of Health said that the CQC figures had limitations because they were based on a survey of patient impressions.

He added: “Almost all patients are now seen within 48 hours compared to just half 10 years ago.

“But we want all patients to have the opportunity to see a GP within 48 hours.”

The report also show that 48 trusts failed to come up to standard on infection control measures, up from 44 the previous year.

The CQC also said that 20 trusts graded as “weak” and another 27 which had been persistently graded as “fair” could face problems under strict new rules for registration next year.

However, officials said that they wanted to avoid the “nuclear option” of closures because of the problem of where local patients would then be treated.

There were also more than 63,000 cancelled operations last year, up from 57, 382 the previous year, in part because of an increased number of procedures overall.

The number of trusts which manage hospitals which fully met the regulator's core standards fell from 69 per cent to 59 per cent.

The CQC said this was in part because of stricter new measures including on safeguarding children in the wake of the Baby P case.

In total 37 trusts were rated excellent for both quality and finances.

Just one, Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospital Trust, was rated weak on both measures.

The report looked at 392 trusts across England.

Mike O’Brien, the health minister, said: “Thanks to the hard work of NHS staff there has been major improvement over the past year.

“For the small number of Trusts whose performance is weak, we expect immediate action to be taken to remedy this quickly and to prepare for registration with the CQC next year.

"Earlier this year we introduced a tough new performance regime and will not hesitate to trigger this if we need to.”

Niall Dickson, chief executive of The King’s Fund, the influential health think tank, said: “Patients served by the hospitals and other services that consistently rank at the bottom have a right to know why these organisations are not providing the quality of services that is expected from them.”